The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Site of Wakenda Fight

Let me try on some name tracing here.

John Simpson arrived Eugene township Carroll county from Kentucky between 1830 and 1833, married Lydia, raised family on his substantial holdings, on his death in 1853 left his farm to wife and then the majority of his holding to his som Amariah Simpson. Interestingly Amariah was the youngest son. A second son John Abner Simpson lived in the area. Both John and Amariah served in the Union army during the war. John died in service in 1864 in Arkansas. Amariah served in Co L 7th MO Cav but spent most of his time at home or hospital with tuberculosis. He eventually succumbed to the disease in 1872. Per patriarch Simpson's will the property then transferred to a daughter Jane W Simpson McElwee, then wife of one George McElwee. Jane passed away in 1875. George survived to 1917.

All these folks are buried in Big Adkins Cemetery next to Camp Creek just off Rt B. Camp Creek runs south to Wakenda Creek. (By the way Wakenda Creek is also refered to as Wakenda Canal). Right across the creek mouth on Wakenda is where Sambo Slough empties into Wakenda Creek. and winds its way south towards the Missouri River which significantly changed its course in after flooding in 1927. (Channel moved south in this neighborhood.)

Elder Cemetery is located just west of CoRd 335 about a 1/2 mile south of CoRd 280. Andrew Richard Elder was the son of Robert C Elder who located to Eugene township Carroll County from Kentucky mid 1840's. Andrew was also in Co L 7th MO Cav. His farm holdings are shown on 1877 and 1896 plat Section 11.

Given the information that Simpson and Elder would have been both from Madison County Ky., families obviously knew each other, and cohabited the area at the same time I would argue that Simpson's Ford is the proper name of the the location. McElwee is the correct spelling of the family name not McElree as listed in several sources. I further propose that "Flat Rock" describes a feature seen on satellite view that is almost exactly 1 mile east of the mouth of Camp Creek/Sambo Slough and about a mile west of the current Creek 327 bridge across Wakenda Creek. Short of doing local land title searches, I don't know if there is anyway to find the actual Simpson property location in the 1860's.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/R9yKkDQHY2u255KLA

Messages In This Thread

Site of Wakenda Fight Anderson's Crew Got Shot Up
Re: Site of Wakenda Fight
Sambo Slough
Re: Site of Wakenda Fight